Excavating-bucket.



l PATBNTBD 0052.15, 1907.

y11.1055111105* l BxcAvATme Bumm.

APPLIUA'IIOI FILED IL! 4, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'EXCAVATING-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patencea'oct. 15, 1907.

ippiimionfued Mn; 4,1907. Serial No. 371,887.

ful Improvement in Excavating-Buckets, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. r

My invention relates to excavating' apparatus and more particularly to a bucket for use in powereoperated excavating apparatus. l

In my prior patent, No. 832,894, granted October 48, 1906, there is disclosed a novel form of bucket adapted to be used in excavating by power, thebucketbeing so arranged that it may be-drawn into the material to be excavated, lifted, 'carried to the spoil pile, land there dumped, by simply controlling the cables which are employed to support it and to draw it into the material to be excavated. Experience has demonstrated that an apparatus of this kind which is properly designed to excavate material of one character may not work at all satisfactorily when it is attempted to excavate material of a different character. Thus, an

apparatus for use in excavating sand must be arranged differently from one which is intended to operate upon clay. Furthermore, the compactness or hardness of the material in the mass from which it is to be excavated also affects the operation of the apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide a bucket of the character described which may be quickly and conveniently adjusted so as to enable it to operate efficiently for excavating `materials differing widely in character, and from masses which vary in hardness and compactncss.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention .will be hereinafter pointed out with particularity in the claims; but for a full understanding of my invention in its various aspects reference is to be-had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: l

Figure l shows in side elevation a bucket arranged in accordance with the preferred form of-my invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bucket shown in Fig. l.

l Referring to the drawing; A represents a bucket having any desired shape and size, and being made of any suitable material. The bucket illustrated is indicated as being of sheet metal, and comprises side walls A and A2, a rear wall A", and a bottom wall AI having a cutting edge a"l at the front end. The bucket is therefore open at one end and at the top.

In order to stiffer: the bucket, a U-shaped metal plate'A5 is arranged across the top of the open end and secured to the side walls thereof.

uB indicates a supporting bail between the Vlower ends of which the bucket is pivotally mounted. The point atwhich the bucket issupported on the -bail is in the rear of the center of gravity of the 'bucket so that, when `free to do so, the front end of the bucket drops downward and causes the contents to be discharged.

C is a bail pivotally connected tothe front end'of the bucket and the bucket is forced into the material to be excavate'dsoas to take up its load, by drawing upon this bail. i

D, D are rods connecting the bails B and C together; there being one of these rods on each side of the bucket and each of the rods being preferably provided with a turn-buckle D. The points of connection between the bail C and the bucket are beneath the rods D so that, in order for the front end of the bucket to drop while the supportingbail remains vertical, the bail C must be swung upwardly. Therefore, after the bucket has taken up its load, it may be moved to the spoil pile by drawing upon the bail at the front eid so as to maintain the bail horizontal. When the spoil pile is reached, the pulling rope is slackened and the bail is free to swing upwardly and permit the bucket to discharge its load. In order to prevent the material in the bucket from falling out of the front end during the` passage of the bucket to the spoil pile, the bottom of the bucket isy preferably held tilted backward; the extent of tilting depending upon the character of the material being operated upon; and the tilting being produced by'adjusting the turn-buckles in the side rods.

It has been found thatwhen the bucket is drawn upon so as to cause it to enter the material to be excavated, it is liable to tilt upwardly 'to such an extent that little or no material is taken up thereby during the entire travel of the bucket unless the nicest adjustments between the various parts are made` I have found that this difficulty may be overcome by providing means for shifting the points of connection between the bails and the bucket so as to vary the line of pull upon the bucket to suit the conditions under which the bucket is being operated. The position of the pivots of the pulling bail is of particular importance. IThese adjustments may be made in various ways. A convenient arrangement for this purpose consists in pivoting the bails. not directly to the bucket, but to an independent support which may be adjusted upon the bucket into various positions so as to raise or lower either of the pivotal axes or carry these axes toward the front or toward the roar of the bucket within such limits as tlul range off1naterials which it may be desired to operate upon may rcquire.

In the drawinglEE represent two flat plaies or bars one of which is arranged on each side of the bucket. Each of the members E is provided with a series of distributed holcs c at one end and a second series of distributed holes e at the other end. These members are secured to the sides of the bucket by means of bolts e2 and c" which pass through thewalls of the bucket and through any pair of openings in the ends of the members. The bail B is pivoted to these members at b and the bail C is pivoted to thc front ends of the members as at c. To 'provide for further adjustment, thepivotal points of the supporting bail upon the members may be shifted by placing the pivots in any pair of a series of openings c5 in the members E. It will be seen that the supporting members for .the bail may be raised and lowered, or they may be moved backward or forward, so that. the pull upon the bail at the front end of the bucket may be directed along any desired line. Furthermore, the pivotal axisof the bucket upon the'supporting bail may be conveniently shifted so as to bring it in any desired relation to the center of gravity of the loaded bucket and thereby facilitate the conveying and dumping of the load. The side members are preferably so located that the points of connection between the pulling bail and the-bucket. may be shifted within limited 'distances above and below the center of gravity, thereby making it possiblcto greatly vary the effect of the pull upon the bucket.

It is desirable to use a bucket having its bottom wall connected to the rear wall by a rounded portion, as this construction prevents tbc material from becoming lodged in the bucket; However. siith a bucket is apt to rock backwardly and discharge part of the load before the bucket is lifted. To overcome this objection I place one or more runners, such as F beneath the bucket, the runners being so arranged that the effect of a flat bottoni bucket is produced. It. will be seen that the runners also protect the bottom of the bucket against the wear duc to dragging' the bucket across the surface of the material which is being excavated.

While I have described in detail a preferred form of my invention. I do not desire to be limited to thc par ticular details of construction shown, since in its broader aspect my invention contemplates various other forms which operate. to bring 'about the beneficial result obtained by the mechanism illustrated.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln :i device of the character described, the combination willi :in excavatingr bucket. of u supporti-ng member pivoied to said ,bucket :it the rear oi' its center o1' gravity, menus for varying the point of 'connectioubetiveen the bucket and the supporting member, and holding mechanism secured to said supporting member and connected to the bucket in front of its center of gravity.

sesgos 2. In a device of the character described, the combination with un excavating bucket, of a supporting member pivoted to said bucket at the rear of its center of gravity. holding mechanism secured to said supporting member and connected to the bucket in front of the center' of gravity,

-and means for varying the point of connection between said holding mechanism and the bucket.

In a device of the character described, the combination with a bucket, of .a supportingr bail between the arms of which the bucket is situated, -means for pivotally supporting the bucket from said bail at any one of a series-'of 'points in the rear of the center of gravity of the bucket.

`one of a number of points :it the rear of thc center of gravity of the bucket, a second bail. and means for pivot- :illy connecting said bailstogether.

5. in a device of the character described. the combinaition with an excavating bucket. :i pair of side members adjustably secured to the sde walls of the bucket. a snpporting buil for said bucket pivotzilly connected :it its `ends to said'side members, and pulling mechanism secured to the front ends of said side members and con? nected to said-bail.

G. in a device of the -character described, the combination` with u bucket. ,a pair of side members secured to the side walls of thebucket. means for adjusting the position of said members in two directions at right angles to euch other. :i supporting member for the bucket pivoted to said side members in the rear of the center of gravity of the bucket. a pulling member secured to the front. ends oi' said side members. and :i connection between the supporting member and the pulling member.

'i'. ln a device vof the character described. the combination with .zibucket, :i pair of side1 members ndjustiibly mounted on the side of the bucket. a si'ipporting bail for said bucket, means for pivotiilly connecting said supporting ball to`snid side members nt 'any one of n plurality of l luiil :ind the pulling members l f R. In :i device of the character' described. the combina tion with a bucket, of a supporting,y member pivoted to said bucket. means for varying' the point of connection between 'said member and the bucket.'pulling mechanism' engaging said supporting member :ind connected to the bucket, and means for adjusting the pulling mechanism to vary the inclination oi the bucket.

El. in a device of the character described, the combination with :in excavating bucket, of a supporting member connected to said bucket :it the rear of the center of gravity. :i pulling member connected to snid bucket in front of the center of gravity. means for adjusting the point of the pulling member above or below the center of gravity of the bucket.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

` v HENRY jCHANNON.

Witnesses ln'rmz D, SciiiPPnns.

B. BLoNTsi-ix.` 

